The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1887-07-28
RIRAup. THE MIsER.
a Thrilling French Detective story Taid
IN an Attractive WAY.

A Thrilling French Detective story T-id
On an Attractive way.
For i've years up TO the g b Of Decsm
Der, 1874. James r baud lived in little
roadsld de cottage within q stones throw
Of pOst-lfouse on the highway Leading
from the village Of Raincy 10 Paris Be
was . little hunchback old man and a
miser Report had Il his hoardiugs were
nearly 3 million Of francs. He had lived
alone, but once bis house was entered by
robbers and himself beaten 50 terribly
that his life for q time was despaired Of.
The robbers got nothing for their pains.
He then resolved 70 live no longer alone.
he engaged q young and sharp eyed girl
from Raincy as q house servant. Tn
known 70 him the girl Fanchatte
had q lover-Adolphe, q stude At
whom once q week she was In the
habit Of slyly meeting at the posthtuse.
Once q month she had a holiday aud
passed Il with her lover AZ Rtincy. H
baud, so the neigh bors said, had once been
q ragpicksr in Paris On the morning or
December - Fanchette bad her usual
holiday aud went 10 Raincy, returning 10
her miser masters house AZ nlghtfan
During the night two u the hostlsrs Of
the posi-house, who By the light OF Ian
tern were playing cards in one OF the
stables, heard wild cry Of agony, as Of
one in mortal terror. u seemed 70 pro.
coed from the direction Of Ribdud's cot
tage. They laid down thsrr cards and
listened, then went outside All was
dark az the cottage; not another sound
did they hear. They returned TO their
game Of cards. In the morning they in
formed the landlord Of what they had
heard. 'Stupidsi why did you not 90 20
the cottagel Now you 60 there and see n
all is right"
The hostlers obeyed, and reaching the
cottage, 10 their surprise found no one
stirring. The miser was always an early
riser. They knocked and called loudly,
but no answer came. They tried the
door. Il was unlocked. In the front room
they beheld a horrible, CHASTITY spectacle.
They saw Ribaud lying in the middle OF
the floor, his throat cut and his head
beaten as II with heavy b.udgeOu. Blood
was scattered and clotted on the fioOr, on
the walls, on the bed. In the rear room
they heard q woman's voice family cry
ing, as II smoth cred: .Help! Helpr'
There they saw Fanchstte, gag -ed and
bound, hand and foot, face downward.
The two men ran out and gave the
alarm. The girl Fanchette was released,
and when sufficiently recovered, told her
story. Il was brief She did not see the
old man murdered. She only knew that,
just as she was preparing 10 undress-the
miser lowed her no light-a heavy hand
was clasped over her mouth; she was
then thrown violently backward She
tainted and knew no more When she came
TO consciousness an hour later she was
-.
knew nothing shout his hidden boards.
The cottage was searched but no val
usbies were discovered The police were
At fault, they could only vaguely surmise.
The miser wss buried, the cottage raEed
10 the ground, and Fanchette returned TO
Raincy.
On January the account OF the murdar
WIS published in the Paris papers On
tn 81 q shabby old man came TO the Pre-
fe. Of the Seine
Monsieur" he said, II am a rag picker.
knew this poor Ribaud, the miser. We
worked together until he left Paris.n
But what has that to do with the muir
derl Why come TO mei''
Because, Monsieur, may aid in hno-
ing his murderers. You see, he had one
treasure Of which only he and myself
knew. You remember that ten years ago
a ieweler Of the Rue BiroR lost aud set
the police IN search Of two magu hcent
diamonds, the largest ever seen in Paris,
except those in the Emperor's possession.
Tney we're intended for the Due d'Au-
male"
"Well, ragmanP'
They were never found, for RibaJd
hid them safely hidden. He had them In
bis cottage"
'NonsenseI The diamonds were lost
not stolen"
'sNot stolenl That depends. know
Ribaud had them Monsieur, you will see
me again. The person who now has the
diamonds is the murderer OF Ribaud aud
knew where 10 Ind them"
The rag-picker left the on e, but at the
corner Of the street he was arrested by
On officer Of the Project
''This fellow knows more than be viii
dis lose. pll keep him awhile In secret"
During the following month Of February
Paris had q sensation in the appearance
Of a dashing couple. The Count and
Countess De TrouVille, as they reported,
had Just returned from a Continental
tour, on their way to their chateau near
halines. They hired maguitic mt apart
ments In the Faubourg st. German, and
asto1ished even the ancient noblesse with
the eHtravagance Of their style. At the
spera, the theaters, on the boulevards,
among the shOp-keepera and trades
men, they became notorious. Evil
iently the Counts wealth was in
sxhaustible. In their apartments they
held a. times high revel, and
the Count and the friends he had made
had the " ildest orgies The police kept
. wary eye upon them, for they could
gather no information rs 70 where the
Count obtained his funds.
July came, with the heat Meanwhile
the Pag-picker was released, but stu
kept in surveillance. Jacquard, one OF
the keenest OF Partisan detectives, was
sent 10 Raincy by the Project TO endeavor
20 find q clew 70 the murderer Of Ribaud,
he miser. The girl Fanchette, had dis
ppeared. Her lover, the student II was
said, had gone on with her she assert
ed that she had received q large legacy
from an aunt in Normandy. the detec-
tive returned n Paris with only minute
description Of Fanchette aud her lover.
One day he saw the Count and Coun-
tess De TrouviIle on the boulevard in an
open carriage To the Preiect ne saiai
ssThe student lover Adolphe and Fsnch-
MENn. NlH NlNNAAN o. NV A-ANNta -
Fsris. 1hev are nov callcp tue Coua.
and Countess De TrouVille."
Suppose they are That does not con e
meet them with the murder Of Riblud, "
monsieur, You do not forget the rag
picker's story OF the lost dismondsP'
aWeul"
YESTERDAY one OF them was offered Ia
pawn 1t Monte de Pete by a man evidently
disguised as 70 hair and b saFd and wear
ing shabby clothes. Noting lock Of sus-
picion from the bank ON cial, and being
asked as 10 WhoF5 be got q, he ned away
leaving the jewel behini him. That was
one Of the lost aOlitaires Of the Due D.
Aumaie. The Oflcial's description OF tbs
man leads me 70 believe Il was the
Count
Then be Il not likely 70 return for u =
aWithin ten days / will satisfy myself.
n VS. be. then he has the other soli'
tnira, and We have . clew 10 the murder
ers."
me detective went 10 work hopefully.
Dressed with faultless elegance, he looked
svery inch the Partisan swell In two
DAYS be made the Acquaintance Of the
Count o. the third be contrived 70 Oh
tain an invitation 70 his apartments The
Count resolved him 10 what he called his
''ien, . small room elegantly furnished
save IN one respect The open crate, hall
Hlled with cinders and hslEburned Goals
was unsprsened with the usual cover
"Ah. every body notices that grate- Il
is my fancy TO have Il exposed Il b q
contrast which, 70 my eye, makes ths
surroundings appear all the richer. l Dc
not permit the servants % disturb IL Be
Sides, you see, Il is a handy rocsptacie
Tor cigar ends aad paper scraps"
-